ANDY'S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2021

It's that time of year. Truly, it's my favorite time of the year. 2021 was a great year for music, as I hoped and semi-predicted it would be in my 2020 Year In Review. This year brought us new albums from so many artists, and for the most part, they all slapped, so much so that I struggled to whittle this list down to ten. It sat at 11 for weeks (going back to Thanksgiving), and then when I thought I had it down to 10, I remembered another album that belonged in the Top 10, which took another two weeks to decide which one would get the boot. So, here you go, my Top Ten Albums of 2021:

10. Changephobia - Rostam.

9. Volume III - Brother. Okay, if you follow this blog even a little bit, you will know how much I love Brother. Their third album, Volume III, didn't disappoint. In fact, if I based this list purely on how much I listened to the album, this would probably be #1. 

8. Juno - Remi Wolf. This album blew my mind. It just seemed a breath of fresh air when other indie pop (I'm not even sure if this is the right genre to put her in) seem to be doing the same. 

7. Sunny Boy - Ritt Momney. Ritt Momney is a legend. For all of those not based here in Utah, he burst onto the scene in the last year with his cover of "Put Your Records On." In his album, Sunny Boy, you could literally feel him make the leap to bigger and better things. 

6. Little Oblivions - Julien Baker. Yes, Ed, I have Julien Baker in my Top 10. What are you going to do about it?

5. Typical of Me - Laufey. I discovered Laufey this year, and I'l be honest, I might be in love. Her jazz infused melodies and lovesick lyrics make me want to watch romcoms until I'm swept off my feet by the love of my life. I did a write-up on her earlier this year which you can read here. 

4. Sour - Olivia Rodrigo. We all lived the phenomenon that was Olivia Rodrigo this year. And if you say you don’t like her music, you are in denial or mentally unwell.

3. Blue Weekend - Wolf Alice. Wolf Alice has been my top artist to watch every live version they have done this year. And it's been a lot. This album just captivates me in a weird way. 

2. I Don't Live Here Anymore - The War On Drugs. I don't have much to say about this album except that I loved "Living Proof," "Change," and the title track so much that it found itself at the #2 spot in my Top 10. Maybe it's the melancholy tone of the songs mixed with the slightly hopeful message the lyrics carry. 

1. How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? - Big Red Machine. Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, what else is there to say? Feat. Taylor Swift?? "Phoenix (feat. Fleet Foxes & Anaïs Mitchell)" was my Spotify Wrapped top song this year and the album gets my #1 spot too. 

First Out: Somewhere - Sun June

Honorable Mentions:
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST - Tyler, The Creator
Jubilee - Japanese Breakfast
Bless My Psyche - Sincere Engineer
Collapsed In Sunbeams - Arlo Parks
Red (Taylor's Version) - Just for "All Too Well"